Hachiro Yamada
Hachiro Yamada (山田八郎, Yamada Hachiro) is a renowned Shinigami combatant and a former Captain of the Gotei 13. Entering in a state of peace, Hachiro has since retired and become a Combat Instructor at the Shin'ō Academy, and serves as both a resource of battle knowledge and teacher. He is known as "Zanka" (残火, "Remnant Flame") for his traditional values in regards to honor and combat, as well as the nature of his Zanpakutō's fire based abilities. With the promotion of Ryōshun Imagawa to the Honor Guard, Captain Yoshirō Nobuyuki has reinstated him to take over as Acting Lieutenant of the 1st Division, serving as a councelor in times of war and a mentor to the younger lieutenants within the organization. He currently resides in the Bleach: War of Souls universe. Appearance Hachiro Yamada shares great resemblances in both physical appearance and personality to former Captain Shunsui Kyōraku. He is a tall shinigami with brown eyes and long wavy dark brown hair which he keeps tied in a pony tail. Though a few strands can be seen coming down over his forehead. His hair is covered by a straw hat (called a sakkat) and he is typically seen chewing on a piece of hay or tall grass when relaxing. He possesses a muscular frame, hardened by countless missions, but does not have any noticeable scars. He wears traditional shinigami robes, the only difference being that he tucks the pant legs into black tabi in homage to his time in the 2nd Division. His forearms are covered in black guards that extend from the middle of his forearms to his knuckles with thumb holes for those appendiges. During leisure activity, Hachiro is seen carrying a white jug filled with saki and regularly drinks from it. He also carries his sword either over his shoulder or tucked into the sash around his waist. Usually he carries himself as a vagabond of sorts with a casual stance such as tucking one arm into his coat and lets it hang like a sling, or have both arms under his coat, leaving the sleeves completely empty. Personality Though holding a prestigious position within the Gotei 13 and the Academy, Hachiro has always been viewed as rather laid back and even lazy at times. He can be seen resting on rooftops, either chewing his grass stem or drinking from his jug. Hachiro tends to use a more familiar speech style than most other characters, often calling Shinigami by their first name, which is unlike his fellow captains and instructors. This makes him quite approachable with his students and confide him when they are troubled. Recreationally, he enjoys drinking saki and his favorite food, steamed dumplings, and can be seen regularly at his favorite restaurant. He is a pacifist by nature, which puzzles some since his main responsibilites are to teach the art of killing and has seen so many battles throughout his life. He will always try to talk his way out of a fight, though if the situation calls for it, he will not hesitate to act. Its not that he's incapable of action, its that he would prefer to settle things without altercation. During combat, he remains calm and collected, going as far as to make small talk or even jokes, but maintains a level of honor and integrity when engaging in battle. This means he prefers a single combatant, especially if they are his level, but is more than capable of battling multiple opponents who threaten him or his allies around him. He's much more traditional when it comes to sword fighting, prefering to fight honorably and will never be seen using underhanded tactics to gain advantage or victory. He's regarded as having natural talent for sword fighting and battle strategy, earning him his position of combat instructor, and quickly gained respect and admiration among his fellow Shinigami. He enjoys being a Combat Instructor, teaching those to defend themselves and to only use force if absolutely necessary. He tries to maintain a level of humbleness when it comes to his strength and encourages those with natural gifts to do the same. Hachiro believes wholeheartedly that honor should always be preserved on the battlefield, and appears visibly saddened when others would taint that prestine image through trickery. History Hachiro Yamada was born into a large family, the youngest of 8 brothers. Showing a natural talent that far exceeded the other students during that time, he was originally assigned to the 2nd Division as a seated officer. He was also Captain Yoshirō Nobuyuki's first lieutent after being promoted to the 1st Division, and held that position for atleast 50 years. Approximately 100 years ago, Hachiro became a Combat Instructor in the Shino Academy, deciding to teach the new generation of warriors instead of becoming a captain. During that time, he served as the academy's top instructor and recommended several shinigami to become future lieutenants, two of which are Kenzō Takeshi and Eiji Maruyama, whom he regarded as potential future captains. Plot Coming Soon. Powers & Abilities Zanjutsu Master: Even during his days in the Academy, Hachiro always been known for his natural skill in swordsmanship, with his abilities further enhanced under training from Captain Nobuyuki and Captain Sato. He typically fights in the kendō style and his fighting style is described as strong and fluid, able to quickly change his attack pattern to suit the situation. Regardless of his preferred style, Hachiro is master of several other forms that he quickly change into even in mid battle and effectively counter his opponent's attacks. He's described as a traditional fighter, rarely using flashy techniques that the younger students enjoy using. But he's very adept in improvising and has employed agility based moves to meet them on equal footing. On more than one ocassion, Hachiro has employed unorthodox forms to fight in difficult situations, such as switching between two-handed grips to one-handed, and even reverse grip. This makes him quite unpredictable in battle. He's also exceptionally fast in the way of drawing the sword, able to cut down targets in a single strike and quickly resheathe his weapon. Off the battlefield, his skill has been harnessed into a teaching tool as Combat Instructor, and enjoys coming up with new techniques to share with his students. His level of skill also allows him to fight on par with even the most proficient captains in the Gotei 13, placing him on equal footing and earning him their admiration. Combined with his Zanpakutō's special ability, he is capable of intercepting any close ranged attack made against him. Hohō Master: As with his skill in Zanjutsu, Hachiro is equally skilled in the use of Flash Steps, allowing him to keep up with captain level fighters. Despite his muscular frame, his speed is not at all affected by it and can move quickly to cover long distances or evade incoming enemy attacks. Hachiro can engage with multiple opponents and, depending on their level of skill, still defeat them. He's fast enough to throw a rock far away and still appear in front of its path to catch it, as he did during a demonstration to his fellow students. Combined with his Zanpakutō's special ability, his speed as become legendary, seemingly rivaling the 2nd Division's captain. Even with his older age, Hachiro can easily match any of the lieutenants with minimal difficulty. All the lieutenants regard Hachiro as their senior in every way and only those near captain level could ever match him in regards to speed. *'Karamete' (搦手, "Rear Gate"; lit. "Force Attacking the Rear of a Castle") A highly advanced Shunpo technique that requires incredible speed, reflexes and expert timing. When an opponent attacks, the user is able to quickly shift their location to directly behind them and strike them down with a diagonal slash across the back, crippling them in the process. Karamete exposes the weak point in nearly all things: their back, and attacks that area before the opponent has a chance to guard against it. With his speed and deadly precision, Hachiro can execute this counter technique so fast that he leaves behind an afterimage of himself that the target strikes. While the opponet believes they have cut down Hachiro, he has already appeared behind them and severed their vertebrae with a single slash, paralyzing his opponent and dropping them to the ground. Its worth noting that Hachiro only ever utilizes this technique to disable a living target if they are to be captured, but will use this technique against enemies such as Hollows and Arrancar, with the intent to kill. Strategist & Tactician: Before his role as an instructor, Hachiro regularly spent his time on the battlefield leading others to victory. He was considered a prodigy when it came to battle strategy and tactics. When the Gotei 13 were leading the charge in quelling the increasing number of hollows, he was able to drive back his enemies in the areas he guarded. He cut off their retreat and was able to flank whole groups with minimal casualties. Also, as a former Captain, Hachiro was responsible for leading an entire division consisting of over a thousand soldiers. It was for this reason that Captain Nobuyuki asked him to become his lieutenant and help him divide the responsibilities of the commanding division. Enhanced Strength: Hachiro has shown to possess far greater levels of physical strength for a man his age and build. His attacks have enough force to cut through thick stone with a simple swing of his sword or send blocking opponents fyling backwards from his attacks. His increased strength also applies to his leg muscles which allows him to leap great distances either to avoid attacks or over obstacles. Enhanced Durability: Surviving countless battles, Hachiro has displayed a higher level of resistance to physical damage, especially towards blunt force. He has survived being sent through structures or crashing against stone walls, and shrugging it off to continue battling. He's known to be able to take on a direct hit from a Cero witout feeling any adverse effects and stated that it takes "a hell of lot more than that" to hurt him. Great Spiritual Pressure: As a former Captain of the Gotei 13, Hachiro boasts great levels of spiritual energy that far exceeds that of any seated officer within the divisions. When venting his spiritual pressure, Hachiro is capable to manifesting a fiery aura that increases the heat in his immediate vicinity and cause others to prespire. The air also becomes very dry and anyone in his presence will begin to feel a sensation as if it were smothering them. The fire is a bright orange with yellow flames coming off it like a pyre. It can grow so bright that it casts a similar colored hue all around him and grow tall enough to be seen from far away, like a beacon. Hachiro rarely exerts this level of power unless facing an opponent of equal standing. Though not holding a position as captain, his power level is undeniable that he can clash against stronger opponents without being affected by their own power. Zanpakutō Tōkenmaru (刀剣丸, "Circle of Swords") In it's sealed form, Tōkenmaru takes the appearance of a standard katana with a black cross guard with indented corners, red wrapping around the hilt and a red sheath. Showing a sign of history, Tōkenmaru is a classic katana with little details or engraving. *'Shikai:' It's release command is "Guide me". When activating his Shikai, Tōkenmaru maintains the same appearance, but instead sends out a large ring of white energy that expands from him at the center before fading away. No other visible changes are made during the transformation with only its Shikai abilities revealing themselves once a target crosses the ring barrier and enters the circle. ::Shikai Special Ability: Hachiro describes his Zanpakuto's special ability as giving him the power to "become better than his opponent". The ring that Tōkenmaru releases when activated is a spiritual marker that determines the area of effect it influences. When an opponent steps into that ring, Hachiro's speed and reflexes increase in proportion to how close they approach him. At the edge of the ring, his speed is at its regular level and if their opponent is within sword's reach, his speed is doubled. Combined with his already impressive talent in Shunpo, Hachiro can match even the higher level captains with relative ease. Although he prefers one on one combat, this ability is also highly effective against groups as it stacks up against multiple opponents. This means that he gains the ability to take on dozens of enemies and defeat them in nearly the blink of an eye. This makes close combat extremely difficult against him, forcing an opponent to come up with alternate strategies besides physical attacks. One weakness Tōkenmaru has is that it is ineffective against ranged attacks, such as Ceros and Kidō. But given the distance the ring extends from Hachiro, most ranged attacks can be seen coming from an open area and grant Hachiro enough time to dodge. Also, even if a target were to use a ranged attack, if they are standing within the ring his reflexes and speed still gain the benefit from their proximity, aiding him in his defensive abilities to dodge those attacks. ::*'Awareness': Tōkenmaru also provides a sort of sixth sense to Hachiro where his body instinctively knows what type his opponent's attack will be. This is not to be confused with seeing into the future and knowing what exactly the attack will be by name. Hachiro doesn't see the attack in his mind, but instead his body "feels" what the attack will be. Similar to how a warrior trains their senses and ability to predict attacks, Hachiro's awareness is heightened even further, with his body reacting to what it senses an attack will be. Some have mentioned him being possessed during battles as he can react to an attack without even seeing it, sometimes his sword meeting another's while his back is turned. This hints at a level of automatic response to danger, with Hachiro's body instinctively knowing what to do to avoid danger and counter with his own attack. Like the increase to his speed, this awareness is confined to the spiritual ring created during its initial release. ::*'Homura Dama' (焔霊, "Burning Soul") Tōkenmaru's only offensive ability available during his initial Shikai release. When activating this ability, Hachiro's spiritual pressure shoots up, taking on the form of flames coming off his body, red and orange in color. Once it reaches it full height, those flames are then pulled into his sword, completely engulfing the blade. By swinging Tōkenmaru towards a target, Hachiro unleashes a powerful flaming energy attack shaped like the tip of a katana. As the attack races towards its target, a trail of thick flames is left in its wake. The attack is capable of either slicing a target or exploding on contact, depending on how Hachiro wants to use such an attack. Hachiro calls this attack his "blazing warrior's spirit" and can increase it's attack power by pouring more of his spiritual energy into it. While it can become extremely powerful, overusage is taxing on his body. As such, he hardly ever pours all of his power behind the attack in fear of leaving him weakened afterwards. *'Bankai:' Kaguzuchi Tōkenmaru (火産霊神 • 刀剣丸, "Fire-Producing Spirit God, Circle of Swords") When activating his Bankai, Hachiro summons a massive tornado of flames that completely engulfs him, masking his transformation in the process. The height of the flames nearly reaches the clouds and causes the environment to turn an orange hue from its color. Also, the release produces such intense heat that it makes it impossible to stand nearby and can heavily damage the area around it. When the tornado disperses, Hachiro's appearance has changed drastically and has acquired a new set of blood red armor adorned with black and gold accents. The uniform appears as traditional samurai warrior's armor: dou, kusazuri, haidate, tateage, suneate, kōgake, sode, kote and tekkō. His forehead is covered by a silver forehead plate with 2 horns sticking out of it that resemble a devil's horns. Thick red cord is wrapped around his waist with his sword's sheath tucked into it. Two rods stick out of the armor on his back, red banners with torn edges tied to it and the characters for Kaguzuchi and Tōkenmaru painted on them in black. Under his armor, he still wears his shinigami robes though mainly obscured by the amount of armor over it. His Bankai is a direct respresentation of his traditional views on honor and battle, like an old samurai, while creating a fearsome appearance. ::Bankai Special Ability: While Kaguzuchi Tōkenmaru still retains the ability to increase his speed and reflexes through proximity of his opponents, it also acquires the new ability to generate massive amounts of flames and use that as a weapon. The ring of energy now looks like a ring of fire before it eventually fades. He can summon fire around his entire body as a type of armor or release it as streams from the palms of his hands or by swinging his sword. Hachiro primarily uses this effect to cover his sword in flames to deal extra damage, while simultaneously burning his opponents. The flames themselves are hot enough to reduce most materials to ash or explode on impact. He can even control its size, shape and intensity to create an impressive array of attacks to overwhelm his targets. When releasing his power, Hachiro's aura takes on the form of a blazing firestorm to destroy projectiles directed at him or lessen the damage they would inflict. ::*'Fire Generation:' Similar to Yoshirō's ability to create light, Hachiro is able to generate large quantities of orange flames from his body, though typically channels it through his sword in the form of ranged attacks. He can still summon the flames through his hands in the forms of streams or exploding orbs, but using a medium grants additional strength behind each attack and can be employed with his fighting style much more seamlessly. The size and intensity of these flames can vary depending on the amount of spiritual power he exerts with this ability, but he can create waves of this energy to cover large areas or attack multiple targets with a single action. Hachiro has shown the ability to produce the flames from his feet as a form of propulsion to increase his speed or leap great heights. This allows him to gain the higher ground against his target and attack from the air. :*'Dai Homura Dama' (大焔霊, "Great Burning Soul") Kaguzuchi Tōkenmaru retains its ability to summon Homura Dama, but can be used in an enhanced form. The projectile is much larger and more powerful, capable of incinerating its target and reducing it to ash. He can further enhance its attack power by adding more of his spiritual energy, making the attack highly destructive. Very few can stand up to a fully charged Dai Homura Dama, and even then would receive a tremendous amount of damage. The size of the resulting explosion is also increased to a much wider area, allowing him to deal great damage to the environment, as well as catch any opponent in the wake of the blast. ::*'Dai Homura Dama: Kakusei Hiken' (大焔霊 • 廓清火剣, "Great Burning Soul: Sword of the Purging Flame") Hachiro first takes in a deep breath, gathering a tremendous amount of air in his chest and puffing it out in the process. He then exhales and produces a stream of flames from his mouth, like a dragon breathing fire, and completely engulfs the blade. Hachiro can then increase its size to monumental proportions, forming into a massive sword of flames. With this, Hachiro's attack power is increased to greater levels and can be delivered with deadly force. Once ready, he will then bring the sword down on to a target and completely sever it into two parts, while the flames around it will swirled into a large tornado of fire and reduce both halves to ash, erasing any trace of the target from existence. ::*'Dai Homura Dama: Honō Yuigon' (大焔霊 • 炎遺言, "Great Burning Soul: Flame Testament") By activating this ability, Hachiro's body burns red hot with flames coming off him and his sword to a much greater effect than his original aura. He grips the handle with both hands and raises them at head level, with the blade edge up and pointing directly at his target. After accumulating enough energy, he will rush forward and thrust his sword towards his target. When contact is made against his target all of the gathered spiritual energy sealed within the blade is released in the form of a massive explosion, completely destroying the surrounding area with enough force to blow away nearby building-sized structures. The force of the attack will launch his target into the air like a rocket and inflict devastating damage. The explosion is large enough to be felt and seen from great distances, while a huge mushroom cloud rises into the sky as a result. This is the Bankai's most powerful technique and requires Hachiro to pour most, if not all, of his spiritual energy into it.